Kashmir police say the attack was carried out by a Lashkar operative from Pakistan.

Injured being treated in a hospital after terrorists opened fire on the pilgrims travelling from Amarnath to Jammu on Monday. (PTI Photo)

Urdu and English papers in Kashmir prominently reported on Tuesday a terrorist attack on Amarnath Yatra pilgrims that left at least seven people dead and 19 injured, but differed on whether the strike was targeted at killing innocent civilians.

“6 Amarnath pilgrims killed in Anantnag attack,” read the lead headline in the Valley’s leading English daily Greater Kashmir. Separate reports on the front page of the newspaper noted the prime minister’s condemnation of the attack, strikes called in Jammu and all-round shock and anguish expressed by political circles, from chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

But the paper reported that the militants hadn’t targeted the bus and that the pilgrims were caught in crossfire.

Another English daily, Rising Kashmir, also reported the attack as the lead story of the newspaper and carried a package comprising quotes from leaders in Delhi and Srinagar condemning the attack. The paper said “suspected militants” attacked the bus.

Some of the people I follow here need to stop peddling the "tourist bus caught in cross fire" bunkum. You can't be apologists for terror.

Kashmir Reader put the attack as its lead story with the headline “6 Yatris killed, 16 injured in Anantnag attack”. The newspaper also reported PM Narendra Modi’s strong condemnation of the attack on Page 1, in addition to statements by Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and separatist leaders.

All English papers in the Valley carried comments of the separatist leaders condemning the attack on Page 1.

Two prominent Urdu papers took the line that the attack wasn’t targeted at the pilgrims. Kashmir Uzma reported the attack as its lead story, saying six pilgrims killed in attack

The Daily Aftab, the largest-circulating Urdu newspaper, carried the story as second lead but gave maximum space to six reports on the attack, carrying them under different headlines.